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Champions
Champions is an American television comedy that aired on Syndication from March 8 to May 25, 2018. The series was officially cancelled on June 29, 2018, after one season. Summary Vince, a charismatic gym owner, is living every bachelor's dream with his younger brother Matthew in Brooklyn, New York. He lives a simple life, dates an endless string of women, until his high school fling Priya drops off their 15-year-old son Michael. Cast Main Cast *Anders Holm as Vince Cook *Fortune Feimster as Ruby *J. J. Totah as Michael Prashant Patel *Mouzam Makkar as Britney Recurring Cast *Yassir Lester as Shabaz *Ginger Gonzaga as Dana *Robert Costanzo as Uncle Bud *Mindy Kaling as Priya Patel *Kevin Quinn as Gregg *Edgar Blackmon as Dean Pasquesi *Jon Rudnitsky as Asher Episodes Production Development On October 5, 2016, it was announced that NBC had given a put pilot commitment to an untitled script by Mindy Kaling and Charlie Grandy. The project stemmed from a writing, producing, and acting deal that Kaling had signed with Universal Television during the previous summer. Universal Television was set to produce the pilot alongside Kaling International and 3 Arts Entertainment. Kaling and Grandy were expected to executive produce alongside Howard Klein. On January 26, 2017, it was announced that NBC had officially given the production a pilot order. The announcement was accompanied by the reveal of the series' premise. On May 13, 2017, it was announced that NBC had given the production a series order. Michael Alan Spiller was announced to be an executive producer for the series and that he was also expected to direct. Eyes Up Productions was also added to the list of production companies involved with the series. On June 29, 2018, it was announced that NBC is not planning for another season. Before the cancellation was announced, the series' producers had reportedly been in talks with Netflix, which carries the series internationally, about potentially picking up the series but the discussions ultimately did not lead to a renewal. Producers are still said to be searching for a potential new home for the series. Casting Alongside the announcement of the series' pilot order, it was announced that Mindy Kaling had been cast in the pilot in the potentially recurring role of Priya. In February of 2017, it was announced that Mouzam Makkar, Anders Holm, Andy Favreau, and J. J. Totah had joined the pilot in potential series regular roles. On March 6, 2017, it was announced that Nina Wadia had been cast in a series regular role. On October 6, 2017, it was reported that Fortune Feimster had joined the main cast. On December 13, 2017, it was announced that Ginger Gonzaga had been cast in a recurring role. Reception "Champions" has received a generally positive reception from critics upon its premiere. On the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds a 63% approval rating with an average rating of 6.23 out of 10 based on 16 reviews. Metacritic (which uses a weighted average) assigned the series a score of 64 out of 100 based on 13 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews. In a positive review, the San Francisco Chronicle's David Wiegand said, "Kaling and co-creator Grandy use plot as a display case for consistently funny writing and sweet and credible performances by the ensemble cast and, most of all, the exceptional skills of J.J. Totah, who plays Priya and Vince's proudly out son, Michael." '' In a more mixed review, Daniel Fienberg of ''The Hollywood Reporter said, "Totah is clearly talented in a variety of ways and he gets the best punchlines in the early episodes, though his extremely focused myopia doesn't always track believably and the show has yet to figure out how to make Michael's schooling a part of the show in any real way. ... The show's workplace zaniness is definitely where Champions is most a work-in-progress." '' ''Variety's Sonia Saraiya offered the show restrained praise saying, "With a little adjustment, Champions could be fantastic. The exceptionally diverse cast brings a lot to the table, and the writing is smart and fresh. But right now it's a bit too disjointed to be a complete success."31 J.J. Totah has received particular praise for his performance as Michael with The New York Times' Margaret Lyons saying, "It's a lot for a child character, but the young Mr. Totah is superb: His comic energy is astoundingly well calibrated, and he allows just enough genuine humanity to show through Michael's haughty, campy fieriness." External links * Champions on Fandom * Champions on Wikipedia Category:2010s television shows Category:2018 debuts Category:2018 endings Category:Concluded series Category:2017–18 season Category:2018 Category:Syndication